Abstract
In this study, for the first time, anomalous properties of the nanosized potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) introduced in nanochannels of bacterial cellulose (40–80 nm) produced by Acetobacter xylinum were investigated. The temperature range was established at different points ranging from 110 K to 250 K. Data for the pure conventional KDP were also analyzed for comparison. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques were used to explore structural changes under the nanoconfinement conditions of KDP. It was figured out that the nanosized KDP exhibited several anomalies in comparison with those of KDP crystals in normal size, including a significant increase in phase transition by approximately 13.8 K, the rise of relaxation times and activation energies in both polar and non-polar phases. The structural modifications related to hydrogen bonds formed between bacterial cellulose and KDP components were found to be responsible for the observed anomalies.